The New York Times articles address harsh realities of what happens when addiction hits home

Oct 5 2012

In Tuesday's health section of The New York Times, "When a Drug Addict Isn't Ready to Accept Help" and "In Business, Nondrinking Can Be a Costly Expense," both articles address the harsh realities of what happens when addiction hits home.

Jill Backfield, Ph.D., Executive Director and Director of Clinical Services of New York Center for Living says, "Addiction often co-occurs with problems like depression, anxiety and mood disorders and it is harder for young people with these related issues to get sober." 

Parents are encouraged to make their teens understand the additional dangers present for adolescents who take medication for psychological conditions, and that mixing prescribed medications with other drugs or alcohol can be toxic or deadly. 

New York Center for Living an intensive, outpatient recovery center, located in Manhattan, has had a great deal of success treating adolescents and young adults, ages 13-26, who suffer from substance abuse and co-occurring disorders such as ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, overeating, cutting and others that complicate a teen-ager's recovery from drugs and alcohol.   

Dr. Backfield and her team of experts in psychiatry, psychology, social work, substance abuse, nutrition, academia and the wellness sciences like yoga and art therapy believe strongly that addiction is a disease of the family.  By approaching recovery as a family issue, parents, siblings and other family members are all involved in the treatment process. 

New York Center for Living is committed to providing the most effective specialized treatment possible for chemically-dependent youth addressing addiction on all fronts and focuses on a holistic treatment approach that addresses the key aspects of a teen's world – social, emotional, academic, cultural and spiritual – to help them change their addictive and other self-defeating behaviors and successfully negotiate the transition from adolescence to adulthood.